Deal to compensate Mbudzi homeowners reached Engineer Theodius Chinyanga

Trust Freddy Herald Correspondent

The agreement for full compensation for residential properties that must be demolished to make way for the Mbudzi interchange has been reached after three valuers handed in their figures.

The Government by law has to ensure that the property owners are paid full compensation.

While the property owners cannot refuse the forced sale, they are entitled to full compensation, set at the value of their properties.

The system uses three valuers for each property, with the average then being the final figure.

This has been done and the letters have been sent to the holders of the title deeds.

One valuer came from the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works and the other two were independent valuers.

Residential properties near the old roundabout have not been included in the first round of demolitions as Tefoma Construction awaits the conclusion of the procedure.

In an interview with The Herald, a representative of the affected residents, Bishop Maruva Goka, said they were quite happy with the progress and both parties were maintaining an interactive approach.

“Currently, we have an interactive relationship. In fact, from the beginning we have been interacting with the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development. Things are in order at the moment.”

Mr Goka said a deal had already been sealed and they were waiting for the ministry to deliver what they agreed.

“All affected residents received offer letters and a representative from the ministry came and told us that they are actually in a position to pay compensation in the near future,” he said.

“So far, on valuation of our properties, we are happy and hoping that the Ministry is sticking to their promise.”

Bishop Goka said the process had taken them more than they anticipated to conclude the compensation issues.

“The only challenge is that the process is taking longer than we were expecting and by now we should have moved,” he said.

“We are just appealing to the Ministry to expedite the process because there is a lot of air pollution, dust and a lot of blasting. We don’t want to put our lives at risk and our presence should not also hinder development.”

The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development permanent secretary Engineer Theodius Chinyanga said the affected residents should remain patient.

“We don’t have any specific time frame for compensation, but a plan to compensate them is already underway,” he said.

“People should just know that the Government is committed to compensating all the affected people, even the President himself promised them.”

The project manager for Tefoma joint construction, Engineer Lawrence Mberikwazvo, said demolition would only take place after a final consensus had been reached between the Ministry and affected residents.

“The demolitions are ongoing, but for the meantime residential areas would be spared,” he said.

“We are targeting industrial areas and once the house owners have been compensated we will issue them with a notice and give them time to remove their things.

“We cannot treat residential areas like industrial areas because we respect human dignity. There must be an alternative accommodation then we go on with demolitions,”

Meanwhile, it was a hive of activity as business people were in a rush to remove their wares before the demolitions.

The Mbudzi roundabout is at the intersection of Simon Mazorodze, Chitungwiza and High Glen Roads that feed traffic from western Chitungwiza and many old and new suburbs into Harare city centre, as well as the heavy national and regional traffic on the Harare-Masvingo Highway.

The huge interchange uses a lot more land than the old roundabout and have meant that buildings near the roundabout have to go.

When complete, the world-class interchange being constructed under the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme, is expected to eliminate congestion at the point where two major highways meet the Beitbridge-Harare national highway, with the traffic circle that was deemed adequate a few decades ago now totally overwhelmed.

The widening of the Beitbridge-Harare Chirundu highway plus its reconstruction and rehabilitation is a critical component of the north-south corridor and huge delays as this highway met the major southern urban roads in Harare would negate many of the advantages won, as well as jamming traffic crossing the highway.

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